A TikToker Booked A Romantic Bali Airbnb & It Turned Out To Be A Nightmare 'Ghost' Villa
“Abandoned building... smashed windows... No-one home.”
Bree Robertson. Left: The shattered windows of an Airbnb in Bali
What you see is not always what you get.
TikTok users are in shock over one woman’s Airbnb nightmare after she booked a “glamorous” Bali villa that turned out to be an abandoned “ghost” house.
Bree Robertson, a woman from New Zealand, shared her experience with the bizarre booking last month, and the video has since racked up more than 4.7 million views on TikTok.
She says she booked the place because she wanted a “glamorous Airbnb” to celebrate her and her partner’s one-month anniversary of moving to the Indonesian island.
According to Robertson, the listing promised an infinity pool, an on-site restaurant and views overlooking the rainforest.
@atypical_adventure Thanks @airbnb #airbnbfinds #abandonedplaces #abandonedhotel
The restaurant was shuttered, the windows were smashed and the pool was filled with algae.
The abandoned villa had cost her US $80, and they didn’t even end up sleeping there. The couple booked another listing in Ubud.
"All we could do was laugh. We were so exhausted and so tired. It was the perfect end to not a great day," Robertson told Insider.
“When you book an Airbnb in Bali and it’s an abandoned building... smashed windows... no-one home,” says the voiceover in her now-viral TikTok video.
And just when you think her day couldn’t get any worse, it started to rain and they did not have sleeping bags, she added in the comments of her video.
TikTok users had questions about her choice of stay.
“You just booked without communicating with the host?” said one commenter, to which Robertson responded: “Ahaha that is generally how Airbnb works.”
Another user poked fun at her situation, saying, “At least, you can stay as long as you wish, I guess.”
Other users began sharing similar experiences with Airbnbs in Indonesia. One TikToker said they “always ask for live-feed video to see the current condition.” Some warned that the pandemic has affected many hotels and stays on the island.
Airbnb has now taken down the listing since it was reported by Robertson. The couple also received a refund from the company, according to a spokesperson.
"We were disappointed to learn about this experience and provided our support to the guest at the time, including a full refund," an Airbnb representative told Insider. "We hold hosts up to high standards, and the listing is no longer on the platform."
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.